1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lighting enclosures and more particularly pertains to a new storage and display apparatus for decorative lighting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of lighting enclosures is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,751 describes a device for permanent installation of Christmas lighting. Another type of lighting enclosure is U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,628 which is a decorative exterior lighting system for use on a building.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a device that is more universally mountable to different structures, and has a means to cover the opening to the lighting when not in use which is incorporated into the design, and is more aesthetically pleasing.
The present invention meets the needs presented above by incorporating a variety of ways to mount to a structure and includes a slidable, roll-top style front panel member which serves to cover the opening into the enclosure in an aesthetic manner and is stored out of view in an upper portion of the housing when not in use.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new storage and display apparatus that is universal in the sense that it is adaptable to a wide variety of structures.
To this end, the present invention generally comprises an elongate housing that has a main channel for holding strings of decorative lighting for the purpose of both displaying during the holiday season, and storage when not in use such as during the summer. The housing has an opening into the main channel for housing the lighting. A plurality of securing members selectively holds the decorative lighting in place in the main channel of the housing. Each of the securing members is mounted a back wall of the housing, and is generally a C-shaped design. A flexible panel member for selectively covering the opening of the housing can be slid up into a slot in an upper portion of the housing when not being utilized to cover the opening. The housing is mountable to a surface of a structure, such as under the eaves or gutters of a house.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.